Argentina blamed referee Edgardo Codesal Mendez rather than its own non-offensive tactics for its loss of the World Cup to West Germany Sunday. Captain Diego Maradona, who lifted the trophy in Mexico four years ago after his team beat the West Germans, 3-2, spoke of the "evil black hand" of the referee, who awarded the Germans a penalty kick with six minutes to play in regulation. Andreas Brehme then scored the only goal of the lowest-scoring final ever.

Argentina blamed referee Edgardo Codesal Mendez rather than its own non-offensive tactics for its loss of the World Cup to West Germany Sunday. Captain Diego Maradona, who lifted the trophy in Mexico four years ago after his team beat the West Germans, 3-2, spoke of the "evil black hand" of the referee, who awarded the Germans a penalty kick with six minutes to play in regulation. Andreas Brehme then scored the only goal of the lowest-scoring final ever.

One month and 52 games after it began, soccer's World Cup was decided in a most anti-climactic fashion--on a controversial penalty kick six minutes from the end of the championship game at the Olympic Stadium. Although the referee's call that produced the game's only goal might not have been just, it was justice that prevailed when West Germany beat Argentina, 1-0, Sunday. West Germany, as it has been throughout the tournament, was the dominant team from start to finish of the 90-minute game.

One month and 52 games after it began, soccer's World Cup was decided in a most anti-climactic fashion--on a controversial penalty kick six minutes from the end of the championship game at the Olympic Stadium. Although the referee's call that produced the game's only goal might not have been just, it was justice that prevailed when West Germany beat Argentina, 1-0, Sunday. West Germany, as it has been throughout the tournament, was the dominant team from start to finish of the 90-minute game.

Here is a capsule look at the English and West German soccer teams, which will play in the second World Cup semifinal game Wednesday at Turin. ENGLAND--A controversial top seed in Group F, the English have lived up to the FIFA's pre-tournament ranking. The offense, led by striker Gary Lineker, John Barnes, Chris Waddle and Peter Beardsley, has been inconsistent.

West Germans shouted, "Deutschland! Deutschland!" honked horns and set off fireworks Sunday night, minutes after their team's World Cup soccer victory at Rome. East Germans also joined the wild night of partying. The 1-0 victory over defending champion Argentina on a penalty kick by Andreas Brehme with six minutes remaining touched off a night of celebration. Hundreds popped champagne corks and trampled bottles, leaving many downtown areas littered with glass.

Captain Lothar Matthaus used both feet to show why West Germany is among the favorites to win the World Cup. Matthaus scored twice--on hard drives with each foot--as the powerful West Germans swept past Yugoslavia, 4-1, Sunday in an opening-round Group D match. "We are among the biggest favorites for the title, I've said that even before the World Cup," said West German Coach Franz Beckenbauer. "This game confirmed it. I think we can play even better."

* COACH: Berti Vogts. * KEY PLAYERS: Juergen Klinsmann, Andreas Moeller, Lothar Matthaeus. * STRENGTHS: Disciplined, well-organized and exceptionally experienced, the Germans are again among the favorites. As defending champions, they know what it takes to pace themselves through the seven matches needed to win the Cup. Klinsmann leads the attack. Moeller, helped by Thomas Haessler, will organize the midfield, and Matthaeus is supposed to hold the defense intact.

Mexico Coach Ricardo Lavolpe, whose team will play Paraguay in San Diego on March 26, said a lack of confidence and too little hard work were to blame for Mexico's failure to make a greater impact internationally. Despite a thriving league and huge fan support, Mexico has never done better than reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup, which it achieved in 1970 and 1986, each time as tournament host. "It's because we haven't worked hard enough," the Argentine-born Lavolpe told Reuters.

Not even Hans Christian Andersen at his most inspired could have penned this Danish fairy tale-come-true. And the final chapter, written on an evening of high drama, was the best of all. Denmark, hardly an international soccer power, defeated world champion Germany, 2-0, in front of 37,800 mostly delighted fans at Ullevi Stadium Friday night for its first European championship.

Goalkeeper Harald Schumacher stopped a pair of penalty kicks in a shootout, and none of the West German shooters missed Saturday as they moved into the World Cup semifinals with a 4-1 victory over host Mexico. The West Germans will next meet France, which was extended to penalty kicks in beating Brazil, 4-3. It was West Germany that eliminated France from the 1982 World Cup semifinals, also on penalty kicks.

West Germany dominated the final 60 minutes but needed a goal from Klaus Allofs with five minutes remaining to tie Uruguay, 1-1, in a Group E game of the World Cup soccer tournament Wednesday at Queretaro. Until Allofs sent a 12-yard left-footed kick into the far corner of the net from the left side, the Germans were frustrated by the outstanding work of Uruguayan goalkeeper Fernando Alvez.